Various types of surgical drapes have been used to keep a surgical site on a patient sterile during a surgical procedure. Traditionally, surgical drapes were linen or woven cloth, and were sterilized after each use for reuse. More recently, disposable drapes have been introduced, in which a nonwoven paper or fabric forms a substantial part of the drape. A reinforcement area is often placed around a fenestration or an edge of disposable surgical drapes to provide structural strength and to absorb bodily fluids from a surgical site. Many disposable drapes also include a number of layers of different materials for the drape area and reinforcement area, with each layer providing a different property to the drape. For example, spunbond fabrics, meltblown fabrics, and polymer films have been used as layers in disposable drapes.
Many different shapes of surgical drapes have been proposed, often depending upon the specific surgical procedure to be performed. For example, the shape of the drape is often specifically designed to fit around a specific surgical site on the body. In some cases, a fenestration, as mentioned above, is provided through a drape to allow medical personnel access to the surgical site, whereas the remaining sheet portion of the drape covers the rest of the body and table. Moreover, several drapes are often used in combination to cover a patient. In some cases, several rectangular drapes, often called universal drapes, are laid over the patient in a pattern providing an opening through which the medical personnel can access the surgical site while also covering the remainder of the patient""s body and the table.
Nevertheless, one problem with such conventional drapes is that various objects and tools cannot be easily stored on top of the drapes without falling off or without becoming contaminated. In response, some drapes have been developed to maintain medical devices during a surgical procedure. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,899 describes a surgical drape including a plurality of binding strips of material attached to the upper surface of the drape for maintaining medical devices during a surgical procedure. The strips may include a fastening system that uses VELCRO(copyright) hook fasteners and an engageable loop material or an adhesive strip for sealing the strip over onto itself. However, the strips are limited to a single placement on the drape and thus do not provide flexibility or adjustability, especially in view of the demands of newer surgical procedures and tools.
As such, a need currently exists for a surgical drape that better allows the storage or placement of certain medical tools, instruments, cords, etc., thereon without falling off or becoming contaminated.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a surgical drape with a pocket is provided. The method includes providing a fabric including a nonwoven layer. The nonwoven layer has a surface that includes a plurality of strands (e.g., fibers, filaments, etc.) that are arranged on the surface with a plurality of bonds spaced about the surface. The nonwoven layer also includes a plurality of loops extending between the bonds.
The method also includes forming a pocket by folding an edge of the fabric in a certain direction such that the edge engages a portion of the fabric. For example, pockets having two open ends, one open end, or two closed ends can be formed utilizing a variety of folding techniques. In one embodiment, a pocket having two closed ends can be formed by double-folding an edge of the fabric and then tucking under the ends of the fold.
In addition, the method also includes securing the edge of the fabric to a portion of the fabric using at least one hook-fastener that includes a plurality of hooks that are engageable with said loops. In some embodiments, the hook fastener(s) can be formed integral with the fabric. Moreover, in other embodiments, the hook fastener(s) can be formed separate from the fabric.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method for forming a surgical drape with a pocket is provided. The method includes providing a fabric having a surface that defines a loop-element region and a hook-element region. The loop-element region is defined by a surface of a nonwoven layer that includes a plurality of strands. The strands are arranged on the surface of the nonwoven layer with a plurality of bonds spaced about the surface of the nonwoven layer and a plurality of loops extending between the bonds. In addition, the hook-element region has at least one hook fastener integrally disposed thereon, which includes a plurality of hooks.
The method also includes forming a pocket by folding an edge of the fabric in a certain direction such that the edge engages a portion of the fabric. For example, pockets having two open ends, one open end, or two closed ends can be formed utilizing a variety of folding techniques. In one embodiment, a pocket having two closed ends can be formed by double-folding an edge of the fabric and then tucking under the ends of the fold. Further, the method includes securing the edge of the fabric to a portion of the fabric using at least one hook-fastener that includes a plurality of hooks that are engageable with the loops.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, a surgical drape is provided that includes a fabric having a surface defining a loop-element region and a hook-element region. The loop-element region is defined by a surface of a nonwoven layer that includes a plurality of strands. The strands are arranged on the surface of the nonwoven layer with a plurality of bonds spaced about the surface of the nonwoven layer and a plurality of loops extending between the bonds. In addition, the hook-element region has at least one hook fastener integrally disposed thereon, which includes a plurality of hooks. One edge of the fabric is foldable such that the hooks can engage the loop to form a pocket. The pocket can have two open ends, one open end, or two closed ends.
Other features and aspects of the present invention are discussed in greater detail below.